Copy deadline for the January 2004 issue is Monday, December 29. Please send inquiries and comments to leaderpub@votf.org To receive the VOTF quarterly Voices please call the office at 617-558-5252. The next issue is due mid-February. This is a hard copy publication. Contributions to VOTF can be made on line or mailed to VOTF, P. O. Box 423, Newton Upper Falls, MA 02464-0002

In the Vineyard
December 2003

Peggie Thorp, Editor

Disciple of Jesus

Disciple of Jesus, weary and silent,
Aware in the darkness, of challenges failed
And longings unfilled,
Remembering the passion that sent you forth,
Young and bright and fired with hope
How is it with you now?

Disciple of Jesus, weary and silent,
World unchanged, its darkness still deep,
Dreams dispelled and visions blurred,
How is it with you now?

Trailing behind me the spark of fire
Of early passion,
Bruised and tender from love’s long thrust,
Now is the finest, greatest moment,
And now the ultimate death,
For I, disciple of Jesus,
To stand before my God,
Weary and deeply silent,
Claiming only,
I was there.

This poem appears in Edwina Gately’s book I Hear a Seed Growing, published by Sources Books.

In this issue

From Penny Kirk, parent of a survivor:
I have been speaking out at various meetings of VOTF in Long Island, NY; Naples, Florida,; Fort Myers Florida; Falmouth MA; and Winchester MA. The Long Island regional meeting Dec.11 and the Brewster, MA meeting Jan.18 are upcoming. I do hope these talks help to make people understand that parents were doing all they could to provide their children with the tools for success but that all of us were fighting an unknown enemy. It made our efforts impotent. As a result of the abuse of my child, the extended family has left the Church and found other ways to worship. So far, this makes 14 individuals who have left their Catholic community as a result of the reprehensible actions of one pathetic priest who acted under the protection of the hierarchical system.

From VOTF Winchester Area, MA – Marge Bean reporting.
On November 24 the Winchester Area VOTF met with four survivors of sexual abuse by clergy. Kathy Dwyer, Dale Walsh, Steve Lynch and Jeanne Cratty. They brought a much needed awareness that their pain continues and we need to be ever vigilant to protect children and vulnerable adults, even with the settlement.

The word "settlement" somehow conveys the meaning that it is over. All you need to do is talk to a survivor and you know it is far from over. The settlement is only the beginning. While some have found healing, many survivors are weary and fragile from the long battle. Steve Lynch said our dialogue with him helped him to clarify his thoughts as he met with the mediator the following day. He found the meeting painful but somewhat relieving. He continues in his long courageous journey for justice and healing, and in seeking peace as he gives us all strength.

Laura Breault gave us a reference to a Web site on Bishop Accountability, when one member of our group stated that the abuse has stopped. Sexual abuse of children is widespread throughout the world. One child abused is too many.

Dale Walsh was overwhelmed by the support. She said she felt validated as a person, as people got to know her and see her not just as a survivor.

Jeanne Cratty showed amazing courage in speaking with her group. It was clear that her parents’ support is a great blessing for her.

Kathy Dwyer continues to be strong in her perseverance in abuse prevention. She was one of the leaders who worked hard to produce the document “Call To Reform,” which is on the VOTF Web site at www.votf.org. A group of over twenty survivors came together to produce this document that would offer guidelines to the Archdiocese to be presented to Archbishop Sean O’Malley. Kathy noted that the survivors came from different places, had different experiences and feelings and expectations, but amazingly came together to agree on the content of the five-page document. All four of the survivors at this meeting were part of the group that wrote the document.

Priests’ Support Working Group
Report from Svea Fraser

On December 1, 2003, representatives from VOTF and the Boston Priests Forum (BPF) met to consider opportunities for mutual support and collaboration. Attendees were Fr. Bob Bullock, Fr. George Carlson, Fr. John Dooher, Jim Post, Pat McNulty, Jim Morrissey, Svea Fraser, Steve Krueger, and David Castaldi. The desire and the necessity to work together for unity and healing were affirmed by everyone. After considering our perceptions of the present landscape in the Boston Archdiocese (RCAB), and recognizing the limited time available in our busy schedules, all agreed that a tangible, simple and inclusive task is required.

Because the BPF and VOTF provide a forum for members’ voices to be heard, it was suggested that a survey mailed to all the presbyterate (the union of all priests including religious order priests) would solicit input from many viewpoints. The results of the survey could be useful for dialogue, conversation, better communication and understanding, especially if the questions are developed by both priests and laity. In addition to a commitment to keep each other informed and to continue liaising, the proposal for a survey will be shared with others in the Boston Priests Forum.

We continue to welcome all activities and suggestions for support of Goal 2. Creativity is demanded for initiatives that are not time-consuming, but that develop mutuality in order to rebuild trust, model an inclusive Church, and prepare us for the challenges that lie ahead (such as church closings and the decreasing number of priests!)

From Westford/Chelmsford, MA – an idea to share: A Christmas project to show support for our Priests of Integrity. Our Westford/Chelmsford Area PV has initiated a Christmas project that we hope will show support and thanks for the priests in our local parishes.

In our 4 parishes we have some priests who support us, others who are apathetic toward us, and some who are adamantly opposed to VOTF. We hope that our gestures of prayer and charity are received with as much good will as they are sent.

Protecting Our Children
Report from Mary Lanigan

Our October meetings were back to back. On Tuesday, 10/21, at St. John’s in Wellesley, we focused (1) on how to answer questions about the implementation of the VIRTUS and the Talking About Touching (TAT) programs and (2) on our role in the Massachusetts Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Partnership. We decided to ask Directors of Religious Education a few questions about VIRTUS and TAT that could be answered briefly by phone. (1. How is your VIRTUS program going? 1a. Has the training gone well? 1b. Is everyone trained? 2. Do your participants think the Reporting Policies are clear? 3. Have you been trained in TAT (Talking About Touching)? 4. Do you have a Parish Safety Committee?)

Joining us for the meeting were Gail Sommer and Paula Tarrant, both of the Newton Child Assault Prevention Program (CAPP) and both leaders in the newly formed Newton Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Partnership. The Newton Partnership, which held an orientation meeting the previous day at which POC was represented, is one of the three local collaboratives of the Massachusetts Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Partnership (MCSAPP). The other two are Gloucester and Orange/Athol in the Quabban region. (For background on the POC membership in the MCSAPP, and on the pilot program to develop permanent local collaboratives for child sexual abuse prevention, go to the POC link on the VOTF web site and click “Protecting Our Children Working Group Meeting Notes, 9/16/03.)

The Newton Partnership has set up three committees, which share responsibility for outreach: Steering, Public Education, and Community Organization and Outreach. As we talked of prevention programs that the Newton Partnership might use, Gail and Paula told us that through CAPP they are experienced with TAT and are eager to be trained in VIRTUS. They noted that CAPP, which is less specific than TAT, sends trained people into pre-school through sixth grade classrooms; whereas, TAT instructs classroom teachers to present its program. Gail, who chairs NCSAPP steering committee, invited us to continue sending a representative to Newton Partnership meetings.

On 10/22 we met with Megan Freedman, Project Director for the MCSAPP, and Sarah Spurgeon, MCSAPP Project Assistant, to discuss POC’s role preparing for an October 2004 MCSAPP Conference that will feature the three permanent local collaboratives. POC will work on logistics: (1) a location central to the three pilot communities (2) a facility available on a Thursday or Friday in October and able to accommodate 500 in both general assembly and break-down sessions (3) transportation for Gloucester, Newton, and Quabban pilot communities (4) announcements and recruitment of attendees (5) registration. Help with these tasks will be gratefully received. At present, Westford seems the most central location.

For its 11/18 meeting, POC attended a panel discussion, “Protecting Children: Models and Best Practices,” sponsored by the Boston College Graduate School of Social Work. Speakers representing MA Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children, Children’s Trust Fund, Girl Scouts, MA Citizens for Children, and B.C. School of Social Work agreed that CORI screening for all staff and volunteers is important, but noted that the clearance is limited to within the state, and identifies only those convicted of crime; other tools are needed. They stressed the importance of work in the community to create a culture that provides safety for children. Clinical work is not possible if the child is not safe. They agreed that teaching adults, especially parents, how to detect and report predators, and how to prevent child sexual abuse are a promising new direction. The Partnership Collaboratives are working to frame the message so both adults and children are alert and wise about sexual abuse prevention. The Girl Scouts publish “Safety Wise” for adults working with children. VIRTUS and TAT programs deserve to be implemented and supported, not undermined by rumors of questionable origins. Mandated reporters need to be trained and comfortable with their responsibility and aware of the support available to help them perform this important task. It is healthy for the Church to face up to issues of sexuality; every parish would do well to have a Child Abuse Prevention (or a Safety) Committee.

One member of POC, Elia Marnik, who is also a member of the Structural Change Working Group, reports on the 11/19 meeting of VOTF with Archbishop Sean O’Malley, which she attended. “The Archbishop’s response to our working with the Archdiocese on the many issues around protecting our children was very favorable, and the first move has been made. It was certainly one of the most concretely positive things to come from the meeting, which was quite cordial and comfortable.”

The next POC meeting is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, 12/16, at St. John’s in Wellesley, MA.

The Lay Education Working Group is most interested in hearing from and communicating with all VOTF affiliates. To further this goal, we are in the process of setting up an educational events bulletin board. We would like to publish, in an easily accessible form, all educational opportunities nationwide. The bulletin board will be accessed from the VOTF home page. Please e-mail lizissam@yahoo.com with your information: Event (speaker, class, conference, etc.), Subject, Place, and Contact (phone, e-mail) by the 15th of the month for inclusion in the next month's update. Also a listserv to ease communication on education and faith formation topics is in its beginning stages. More information will follow shortly. In the meantime, please be thinking of the answer to these questions: What are your interests in furthering your own lay education and that of your affiliate as a group? Which of the following topics would you be interested in having 4-5 evening sessions about: Vatican II, Church History, Bishop Selection, Rights of Laity according to Vatican II and Canon Law, Starting a Faith Sharing Group, Bannings? These questions can be addressed by e-mailing the above address until the listserv is ready.

VOTF NATIONAL NOTES

****Nominating Committee Report – Svea Fraser
Election News: A nominating committee was formed after the October 16, 2003 Council meeting. National representation was an important feature of the committee and the following people volunteered: Svea Fraser (MA), chairperson; Eileen Knoff (WA); Frank McConville (MA); Kristine Ward (OH); Anne Wilson (NY). Kris Ward subsequently recused herself when she accepted the nomination for vice president. She was replaced by Jim Walsh (MA).

Starting on October 30, 2003, nominations for President, Vice President, Secretary/Clerk and Treasurer for the year 2004 were mailed in (by those without computer access) and logged in by registered members. The complete list of those who were nominated will be posted on the VOTF Web site at www.votf.org.

Each nominee was contacted and asked if they wanted to be considered as candidates for office. Those who chose to run were asked to submit background bio's or resumes, in addition to answering questions about their involvement in VOTF, their interest in the office they seek, their hopes for VOTF, and their commitment to keeping strictly to our mission and goals. They were invited to write a brief summary of why they seek their particular office. Their responses will be posted on the Web site (and mailed to those without computer access) for all to read. All registered members are eligible to vote. It is important that everyone be sure they have done so by December 12, 2003.

There were ten names placed in nomination for President, thirteen for Vice President, eleven for Secretary/Clerk, and eight for Treasurer. The incumbents each received a nomination, and the complete list of names will be posted on the Web site.

The nominating committee has forwarded the names of every person who chose to run for office, and recommends each as a qualified candidate for office. The others either disqualified themselves, or chose not to run at this time.

Here is the slate of candidates for election:

President:
James Post (MA)

Vice President:
Gaile Polhaus (PA)
Kris Ward (OH)
Bob Strong (MA)

Secretary/Clerk:
Betsy Conway, CSJ (MA)
Anne Southwood (MA)

Treasurer:
Ann Carroll (MA)
Ken Forton (MA)

All details, including statements from each of the candidates, will be publicized on the Web site and through the mail. All ballots are due by 5:00 p.m. on December 22, 2003. Questions can be addressed to the Elections Committee (Jim Walsh at rwalsh1140@msn.com or Svea Fraser at sveaandscott@comcast.net). PLEASE REGISTER AND VOTE!

****A heads up note from VOTF vice-president Ann Carroll. Based on the news reports from the US Bishops Conference in DC, please note two important upcoming dates. The National Review Board (NRB) has announced that on January 6, 2004 they will release the results of the diocesan audits. (Every diocese is being audited to measure its compliance with the Charter for the Protection of Children, which was approved by the bishops a year ago.) On February 27, 2004 the NRB will release the results of the survey they commissioned to catalogue sexual abuse cases. (The survey is being conducted by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice.) Another report by the NRB, on the causes and context of the crisis, is also anticipated in February.

For those of us in Boston, the January 6 date bears noting. Not only is it the Feast of Epiphany, but January 6, 2004 will be exactly two years since the initial newspaper article about the clergy sexual abuse crisis was published in the Boston Globe – this devastating news became the catalyst for the formation of VOTF.

****Parish Pastoral Council Survey by the Structural Change Working Group has been distributed. Check the Web site at www.votf.org and the January issue of this publication for developments.

**** Catholic Giving Joseph Harris is an independent researcher in Seattle, WA. A former Associate Director of Religious Education for the Archdiocese of Seattle and author of The Cost of Catholic Parishes and Schools, Harris has analyzed data from the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate, which studies finances among US Catholic dioceses. His research report is available at: www.josephclaudeharris.com with an excellent Executive Summary, available at no charge. The complete report is available to download for a charge of $9.95. The site also displays the table of contents of the report.

****This conference may be in Boston, but the issue is global. “Envisioning the Church Women Want: A Conference on Women in the Church” will be held at Boston College April 16-17, 2004. Workshops include Elizabeth Johnson, Miriam Therese Winter, Mary Gordon, a “Student’s Speak-Out” and EVEN a “Men’s Response and Dialogue: Is the Church Women Want the Church Men Want Too?” with Tom Groome, Tom Beaudoin and Bishop Thomas Gumbleton. More information at www.bc.edu/church21 or call 617-552-3489.

****VOTF Christmas Cards will help support survivors. (See Events – East)

EVENTS - VOTF EAST

****VOTF Christmas cards This is a reminder that the Winchester, MA VOTF is still selling the first-ever VOTF Christmas cards, but they're going fast! All proceeds will benefit abuse survivors. Cards are just $12 for a box of 12. We have sold over 5000 cards to VOTF members in nine states and counting.

You can view and print an order form (showing the cards and messages) by visiting our group's web-site (www.votfwinchester.org) (please disregard the Oct. 31 date on the form. Cards are still available, but quantities are limited). If you have any problems accessing the form, or wish to obtain order forms or sample cards for an affiliate meeting, just send an e-mail to Bob Morris at rmorrisvotf@aol.com.

Your support can really make a difference. Even an order of just one box can help us raise thousands of dollars for survivors. Please place your order soon.

****A Dancer’s Christmas returns to the Robsham Theater at Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA. This Boston Liturgical Dance Ensemble performance is fast becoming a must-see during the holiday season. Performances are scheduled on two weekends, Fri-Sun 12/12-14 and 12/19-21. General and ticket information is available at www.blde.org/home.htm or call 617-552-4002; 617-552-6110. (This is not a VOTF event but we thought you’d like to know about it just because it’s Christmas!)

****Voice of the Faithful president Jim Post will be a panelist at Boston College's conference, "Towards an Ecclesial Professional Ethic" Feb. 13-14, 2004 (part of B.C.'s two-year initiative, "The Church in the 21st Century"). Dr. Post's panel will discuss, "The Catholic Church in a Period of Organizational Crisis."

VOTF On the Road

Paul Kendrick is co-founder of VOTF Portland, Maine. He returned recently from his second trip in a year to Haiti. While his trip was not VOTF-related, it nonetheless tells us a little more about each other.

Rev. Pierre Michelin has to be carried over the river in Port-Margot, Haiti each Sunday in order to be able to say Mass at his mission church. There are no passable roads for him to drive from his main parish. If the water is too high, he is unable to go. The rectory has electricity for 3 hours per day, from 7-10 pm.

At Mass in Cap-Hatien, the choir sings like angels. I am the only person to receive the Eucharist with my hands and the only white person to receive communion. An old woman and her daughter sit on the other side of me. They pray with their hands outstretched.

Catholic sisters, brothers and priests, Christian groups from Canada and elsewhere try to fill the gaps in Haiti by running orphanages, street clinics for kids, homes for the mentally handicapped and schools for the blind and deaf. The group I am with from Portland has formed a partnership with the Justinian Hospital in Cap-Hatien. They are providing equipment and supplies to the hospital as well as training. Peace Corps volunteers, the quiet and courageous heroes of Haiti, live alone in dirt-floor huts with no electricity or hot water.

The people of Haiti wash their clothes wherever they can find a spring. It is important to the Haitian people that their clothes are clean. In the countryside, clothes are laid to dry on bushes and in trees. Elsewhere, the people line up at pump wells on garbage-strewn, pot-holed city streets to fill their dirty buckets. Sometimes a whole street is blocked by the piles of garbage. Children build forts out of the garbage in the main harbor, their bare feet entrenched in the filthy muck. Most children in Haiti will die before they are five years old from diarrhea and malnutrition. It is estimated that up to 10% of Haitian children are sold into slavery.

It is difficult to explain the sense of dignity and pride that emanates from the people of Haiti. One notices a mother and daughter walking by, holding hands, talking and laughing with each other.

In The Poor are the Church, the author Rev. Joseph Wresenski, suggests that the church exists for the poor. Otherwise there is no church. I have suggested to my pastor that every decision we make as a parish, as a community of faithful, must be followed by the simple question, "How does this decision affect the poor."

The Pope lives in a place described by the Vatican press as an "apostolic palace." In our own Portland, Maine diocese, our bishop resides in a mansion in one of the most desirable parts of the city. During the Cathedral renovation, the most skilled (and expensive) stained glass manufacturer in the world was called upon. A parish in Portland decided to clean an entire outside brick wall because the wall did not exactly match the hue of the adjoining brick wall. What kind of visual message does this project to the poor in our diocese?

It is the message of a bishop who is "set apart," so very unlike Christ who gathered the poor to Himself.

Victims of clergy sexual abuse have been mistreated, berated, and shunned by my church's (servant) leaders. Millions of Catholics have inflicted additional insult by failing to stand up and demand redress for the crimes committed against children. Bishops have refused to be held accountable for their actions of covering up the crimes of sexually abusive priests in order to avoid scandal and protect themselves and the perpetrators. Because of their actions, more children were harmed.

I met with the Archbishop of Cap-Hatien (he is retiring soon). (My own bishop will not sit in the same room with me). I asked him if he speaks out against the government of Haiti in favor of better living conditions for the people. He never directly responded to my question. A priest later complained to me that the bishop is never available for either the priests or the people. He is always attending high level church meetings.

Our hotel provided safe food and drinking water (although I still became very ill upon my return). I had an early (6:30 a.m.) breakfast on my last morning in Haiti. An older Haitian man who often begs for money at the hotel greeted me from a short distance away. I was the only one in the dining room, so he dared to venture near. On my table was coffee, juice, a bread basket with freshly made jam and a fruit plate. As we passed some small talk, I suddenly became very aware that I had all this food and he had none. I asked him if he would like some toast. He wondered if I might wrap it for him in a paper napkin. I stared at the table. "Would you like some fruit," I asked. He nodded quickly. I wrapped the fresh papaya and pineapple. The old man suddenly took leave, using his hat to hide everything. In ten minutes, he was back, the food safely deposited somewhere, possibly with his family.

The old man's name is Raphael. In a past visit, he and I stood in solidarity to receive the Eucharist at Mass. Yet, on this morning we were separated by a breakfast table - a table in which I had all the food and he had none.

Sometimes in life there are unexpected defining moments. The poor are the Church.

Mary Ann Keyes chairs the national Parish Voice Working Group and reports on recent travel.

Wonderful news from Louisville VOTF! The Goal #2 team completed their second in their series of dialogs with local priests. All priests (almost 200), including retired and priests in orders as well as diocesan priests, were invited. Between the two nights, 16 priests attended. We had good, honest dialog. Everyone who was there came away feeling that we had a great start. The evening was very encouraging.

The Goal #2 team did an enormous amount of work. They wrote to the priests and then followed up with a phone call to all of them. They planned the time from making reservations to providing refreshments. The team is composed of Margie Zoellar, Lucy Fennewald, Elaine Flynn and Vince Grenough.

The number of VOTFers invited was kept small so that we didn’t outnumber the priests. The team wanted balance with representatives of survivors and a balance of men and women.

VOTF EAST

VOTF New Jersey
Submitted by Maria Cleary

Our most exciting event this month came via our November speaker, Anthony Padovano. A noted theologian, writer and educator, Dr. Padovano kept our membership spellbound as he recounted for us the history of the American Catholic Church. Many of us were stunned to learn about our democratic roots, and the first American Bishop John Carroll. He was a visionary leader who championed a “Constitution of the Clergy,” giving priests voting privileges in determining their ministry and their leaders, and the “American Trustee System” giving the laity an active voice in their parishes.

We are so anxious that all our VOTF family know these facts and learn more about a system that was once ours as American Catholics. Please visit our Web site at www.votfnj.org to read Dr. Padovano’s entire speech.

Our Newark Affiliate is well into its planning stages, and we’re making our first inroads into the Metuchen Diocese. Our Structural Change Action Committee is working on a “white paper” that focuses on the “Future of Ministry” in NJ. And finally, after an extended tangle in red tape, we’ve gotten our 501(c)3 status. Our lesson was: persevere!

We send hearts full of Christmas blessings to our VOTF brothers and sisters around the world, and our prayers for a New Year that is abundantly graced by the Spirit as we continue the work we are privileged to do.

Merry Christmas from NJ VOTF!

VOTF St. Thomas More, Durham, NH
Submitted by Lorraine Graham

On November 20th, St. Thomas More Parish Voice of Durham, NH coordinated with our pastor Fr. Dan St. Laurent a prayer service in support of victims of sexual abuse, "Healing the Body of Christ." Fr. Dan sent invitations to all area Christian churches in order for the service to be ecumenical. There were four reflections on what the crisis had done to affect the lives of each speaker: a UNH student, a parishioner who'd left the Church and recently returned with her children, a VOTF member representing NH Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Abuse, and our pastor, a priest for 28 years. Their messages were very moving and heartfelt and an eye-opener to some in attendance. Our choir participated and we felt we reached some parishioners who had not really tuned in before. Our program stated that the service was sponsored by STM Parish Voice and we distributed VOTF material at the rear of the church and also at a coffee get together afterwards for good fellowship and conversation and, hopefully, education.

Special thanks to Lynn Holmes and Barbara Troxell who coordinated with Fr. Dan our prayer service in support of victims of sexual abuse "Healing the Body of Christ" and all who participated from area churches last Thursday. We offer a prayer of thanksgiving this season for the example of patience, courage, truth, concern and persistence that has been demonstrated by the actions of so many of the faithful during the past year. The grassroots involvement of VOTF members has been a sign of hope for our Church.

VOTF St. Anselm, Framingham/Sudbury, MA
Submitted by Bill McQueeney

We have created what we are calling Forum for Healing. Each month we are addressing one of the goals of VOTF with a speaker or other activity.

On October 30th we were blessed by a talk from Church historian, Pat DeLeeuw of Boston College and on December 11th at 7:30 pm, we will hear from our old friend Olan Horne. Olan Horne is a founder of the Survivors of Joe Birmingham. He will address at least one survivor/victims’ perspective of the settlement and perhaps more importantly a view of how healing can occur.

On January 31st we are having a dinner celebrating the lives and dedication of 10 priests who have served or are serving St. A's in one capacity or another. In the February through May period we anticipate hosting David O'Brien from Holy Cross College, Mary Jane England from Regis College and Paul Baier of Survivors First.

We receive outstanding support from our pastor, deacon and pastoral associate and many, many members of our community.

VOTF West Philadelphia, PA
Submitted by Judy Clifford

The Western Philadelphia Suburbs Affiliate formed in 2002 primarily with members of one parish. At the present time, our affiliate attracts people from a number of parishes but not enough from any single parish to form individual parish voices. We meet once a month, generally to hear a speaker. For example, last month a member of a parish pastoral council described how councils are formed and operate in the Philadelphia Archdiocese. We publicized the survey on the Parish Pastoral Council, which VOTF's Structural Change Working Group created. At another meeting, we heard a painful story of abuse from a victim/survivor. VOTF is not welcomed on Church property, nor has the distribution of flyers outside of churches been allowed but, recently, we have been permitted to put notices of our meetings in the parish bulletin. That was quite an accomplishment!

The outrage of Boston Catholics has not been replicated here. However, the work of a grand jury taking testimony on clergy sexual abuse has been extended. The report may ignite some passion in a Catholic community that seems to think the sex-abuse problem does not affect the Church in Philadelphia. They may be surprised! At the local level, the laity is still pretty much content to “let Father do it,” that is, make all the decisions, and Father insists on doing it. However, there are exceptions. There are a few priests trying to develop lay leadership – they see the writing on the wall in the priest shortage. So in an area where we bump up against a stone wall at every turn, our job is to set out goals that we can accomplish and keep the torch burning. The VOTF conference at Fordham University was a morale booster. The appalling stories of victims and gross behavior of clergy constantly remind us that if we don't “keep the faith and change the Church,” who will?

VOTF RI
Submitted by Mary Freeman

The VOTF of Southern RI held a prayer service last month entirely assembled by lay people. A few things were taken from different articles published in In the Vineyard and on the Web site but the bulk of it was written by our own members. It centered on VOTF’s three goals. Candles were lit throughout the service. Now we light them and read the invocations at all of our meetings. A copy of the service is available in AppleWorks. If other affiliates would like to have this, we would be very happy to share it. Contact mfreeman13@cox.net.

VOTF Northshore, MA
Submitted by Vince Guerra

The Christian Education-Faith Formation group at VOTF-Northshore, a VOTF affiliate based at St. Rose of Lima parish in Topsfield, Mass, recently launched a new collaborative, tri-affiliate lecture series along with affiliates Lynn Area VOTF and Seacoast VOTF. This program is designed to provide needed spiritually-reinforcing information about Catholicism, helping interested Catholics understand their faith and the institutional Church. The six-part program, entitled “The Living Christ, We His Disciples" was held at St. Rose of Lima on Sunday, October 26 and again November 2 when Rev. Michael Heim, Ph.D., theology professor at Boston College, spoke eloquently on the humanity and divinity of Jesus. He offered numerous insights into our Lord in a most scholarly and inspiring way and left the enthusiastic audience exuberant and most appreciative of what it had experienced in each of his one-hour presentations. At the refreshment period, he was greeted with great admiration and the crowd departed obviously very pleased as were the sponsors.

The next two-part segment of this collaborative Faith program will be hosted by the Lynn area VOTF at St. Mary's Church in Lynn in late January-early February '04. Father John Baldovin of the Weston Jesuit School of Theology will speak on Incorporation into Christ via Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist as these fit into the community of Faith. The fifth and sixth presentations are scheduled for late March-early April and will be hosted by the Seacoast VOTF, based at Immaculate Conception Church in Newburyport. The themes will focus on scriptural understandings and will be announced in more detail at a later date in the calendar on the Web site. Further meetings are planned for 2003-2004. Open attendance is always encouraged and it is hoped that the cooperative efforts of the three affiliates in this part of the state will foster further growth of our organization and enlightenment of its members.

VOTF Westford/Chelmsford, MA
Submitted by Lauren Franceschi - What We Have Learned Over the Past Year: Some excerpts and recaps of members’ comments.

“The Spirit will not be denied. The fact the Cardinal Law left is evidence that the Spirit is at work through our participation in VOTF. The support of the VOTF membership has kept many of us faithful. Through tragedy we sometimes wonder where the Spirit is but at some point we realize He has been there all along.”

A member thought back to a childhood experience with the Sisters who taught her in grade school. She understands the intimidation the victims of clergy sexual abuse must have felt because at one time it seemed that adults would always side with the clergy and the nuns. She believes that there are many cases that we will never hear about because so many victims will not speak up.

A member realized the responsibility in being a Catholic adult. “We take on responsibilities as adults in all other area of our lives but as Catholics many people remain children. We need to change this and be adults in our Church.”

One member realized how it feels to be dehumanized for his beliefs but, like Jesus before Pilot, we need to stay the course.

Heroes don’t come in the shape expected; VOTF has been a good experience.

“It is nice not to be alone.” A member was told at a young age by her father that the clergy and sister can be wrong. That stayed with her. Historically, the Church hierarchy reminds her of Boardrooms. They are running the show while the rest of us are out living the faith. Together we can do something.

“If this had happened 25-30 years ago we may not have stood up like we have. It has all happened in God’s time. This is an act of God.”

A member reminded us of the work of St. Catherine of Sienna who fought the Church over injustice.

A member said that he has realized that this crisis is as important to many others as it is to him.

Another said he thought that once the hierarchy learned the true depth of the sexual abuse that they would fix it. He was shocked to see that not a single bishop has called for the resignation of any bishop who is known to have been involved. He realized that he has taken his faith for granted. We can’t sit by and watch it unfold. We need to figure out what to do next.

VOTF Winchester, MA
Submitted by Bob Morris

There were several highlights for our group this month. On Saturday evening, November 8, some 70 members and nine area priests gathered for our second pot-luck supper honoring priests of integrity. Many thanks are due to our Priests’ Support group for organizing this highly successful event. Thanks are especially due to Mary Brown, Marie Doyle, John and Mary Deyst, Christina Hurley and Clare Keane.

On Monday, November 24, we welcomed four survivors of abuse -- Jean Crotty, Kathy Dwyer, Steve Lynch and Dale Walsh -- for round-table discussions with our members. The discussions focused on the "Call to Reform the Archdiocese of Boston (9/2003)", presented to the Representative Council in September. The presence of the survivors once again brought home for us what brought us together in the first place. (See additional details under Survivor Community news.)

Another highlight in November was a presentation on November 17 by Barbara Penkala, the Religious Education Coordinator at St. Eulalia's in Winchester, regarding the Archdiocesan Virtus program. Several members of the parish "CAPS" team were present as well, and participated in a lively and informative discussion regarding parish safety.

VOTF Harvard, MA
Submitted by Joann Helhowski

St. Theresa, the Little Flower (Harvard, MA, Worcester diocese) is a small parish and continues to have a small but energetic VOTF group. We sponsored three activities over the Fall in the spirit of the three VOTF goals. Our first activity was a fundraiser selling the New England fall gardening staple (mums) to support victim and survivors’ organizations. This fundraiser, held after each Mass, gave all parishioners an easy opportunity to show their support for the victims of the clergy abuse. It was a huge success and the profits realized enabled us to provide contributions of $300 each to Survivors First, The Linkup, and SNAP.

Our second activity was hosting a talk “How to Solve the Church Crises: Ordinary Catholics Must Act” by Dave O’Brien. With pleasure we were able to host this inspirational speaker and were joined by members from other parishes in our vicinity. Our final fall activity was a celebration of “Priesthood Sunday.” At each of our Masses, different parishioners shared their thoughts and feelings on the importance of priesthood in their lives. During the Reflection after Communion there was a meditation hymn on priesthood and we drew the full parish community into the celebration by offering a blessing over our pastor as a representative of all the priests in our diocese. We concluded each of the Masses with the handout to all members of a special prayer card for the vocations of priests.

VOTF Greater Lawrence Affiliate, MA
Submitted by Louise Gosselin

A Greater Lawrence Vicariate VOTF Affiliate was recently formed by joining St. Michael of North Andover, St. Augustine of Andover and St. Robert Bellarmine of Andover. The intention was to share resources and widen membership in the greater Lawrence area. Emilie Gilbert, Dave Dlesk and JoAnne Nowack have agreed to chair the affiliate.

The Greater Lawrence VOTF Affiliate sponsored a well-attended Mass of Rededication and Reconsecration on October 29. Over 120 people were in attendance. The group has also created an Affiliate Lending Library and has plans to purchase tapes, videos and books. Speakers are being contacted for presentations after the new year as part of the Affiliates’ education goal. The next scheduled meeting is December 9. All meetings take place at St. Michael Church in North Andover from 7 to 9 p.m.

VOTF West

VOTF East Bay, San Francisco, CA
Submitted by Peter Davey

Our original November 4th meeting with our new bishop Bishop Allen Vigneron was postponed to and took place on Monday, November 24th. After VOTF led an opening prayer, the four members of the Steering Committee (SC) made short, introductory statements.

After Tom Kirk made some straightforward comments about lack of detail available in Diocesan Annual report, Bishop Vigneron said he would talk to the Finance Council. The bishop did encourage all of us to make contact with various Councils but especially, the Pastoral Council.

The bishop stated that the fact that VOTF is bringing Catholics together is a good thing. However, he cannot endorse us or give us "privilege" status because if he did this, he would have to do the same for every group that may be championing various issues. We brought up the timely issue of celebration of Eucharist vs. shortage of priests. The bishop stated the solution was in the renewal of the Church and the need to recruit. There are plenty of candidates out there but they are not "hearing" the call. The bishop wanted to know where VOTF stood regarding "hot button" issues such as ordination of women and optional celibacy. We stated that as pointed out on the National VOTF website, VOTF is not taking any position on these issues and that we have no argument with Church Doctrine. However, to be honest, members do have questions and have expressed anger at the Church's closed mind on these topics. The bishop stated that although celibacy is an "instruction," ordination of women is Church Doctrine. If we want to go down either one of these roads, it is a dead end!

We asked the bishop if there was anything he considered heretical in our brochure. He stated that he took no position on it and that if a pastor has a problem with it, tell him to call the bishop’s office.

VOTF is happy that the bishop did not ban us from meeting at parishes. He encourages all laity to assume their role and responsibilities as articulated by Vatican II, i.e., get informed and get involved in transforming society. We invited Bishop Vigneron to attend any of our meetings in the future as they are always posted on our Web site. The bishop led us in a closing prayer.

Two of our East Bay Steering Committee members met in San Francisco last week with Ed and Peg Gleason to introduce Robert Kaiser who has agreed to speak to VOTF at our Spring Symposium, University of San Francisco (USF), March 28, ' 04. Kaiser is currently Distinguished Visiting Scholar at the Leo T. McCarthy Center for Public Service and the Common Good at USF.

VOTF South

VOTF Bay Area, FL
Submitted by D. Esteva

Our affiliate has had several interesting presentations at the last few general meetings. Deputy Donald Jordan of the Hillsborough Sheriff's Office gave a very factual and interesting slide presentation on sexual abuse and ways of protecting children, and recognizing signs of abuse. Roger J. Girard, a licensed mental health and sexual abuse counselor, stressed the elements of power and control in sexual abuse. Fr. Alan Weber, Vicar General of our diocese, talked to us about the organization and administration of the diocese. And most recently, our pastor Msgr. Harold Bumpus talked about Voice of the Faithful Goal #3 and what in his opinion could be done at the diocesan level. He concluded by saying that he could visualize Voice of the Faithful working in tandem with bishops and pastors to achieve many things.

We are happy to announce that a meeting of the Steering Committee with our bishop Bishop Lynch has been scheduled for December 16th. We look forward to this meeting. Following is the agenda we submitted to Bishop Lynch:

Another recent undertaking was a visit by Jim and Anne Marie Lydon, Chairpersons of the committee on Goal #2 to the St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary at Boynton Beach, FL. They returned from their overnight trip with feelings of kinship for the seminarians and faculty. They highly recommend the rest of us to plan a visit there. Keep the faith; change the Church.

VOTF Louisville, KY
Submitted by Paula Radmacher

Our new member committee has decided that we should have our introductory meeting just prior to the full membership meeting rather than on a different night. We are gathering for about 45 minutes to explain the goals and the types of activities in which we are currently engaged, then we will go on to the business meeting.

Goal 1: We are developing plans for a one-day retreat sometime in the Spring. Goal 2: The first dialogue session with our priests was attended by 10 clergy and nine members. Topics included needs, expectations and ideas to promote healing. Members found it to be a positive experience. Goal 3: The broadness of the topic is challenging and members are focusing on small steps. Committee members will be working on a letter to be sent to the Archbishop.

VOTF CENTRAL

VOTF Chicago Archdiocese, Il
Submitted by Terry O’Connor

60 Seconds through the Archdiocese and Beyond on 12/4/03

Peace be with you and have a great Christmas season.
Voice of the Faithful-Chicago Archdiocese Coordinator at: toconnor847@mynex.net

VOTF Cleveland/Akron, OH
Submitted by Tom Byrne

The Cleveland/Akron Diocese affiliate has initiated a Priest Sounding Board with strong support in accordance with Goal #2. Fr. Robert Wendelken, Pastor of St. Rita parish in Solon, Ohio will initiate and help coordinate its formation within the diocese. Both John Bongiovanni and Tom Byrne supported the St. Christopher Parish Voice Affiliate meeting on November 22 and clarified VOTF goals and mission statement.

VOTF St. Mary’s, Ann Arbor, MI
Submitted by Anne Laurance

St. Mary’s Student Parish of the Diocese of Lansing formed a Voice of the Faithful group in November 2002 and has been meeting monthly since that time.

St. Mary’s is the parish at the University of Michigan and carries pastoral responsibility for all Catholic students at that institution, a number that approaches 8,000 young adult Catholics. It is the consciousness of this responsibility that continues to energize the VOTF members at St. Mary’s. In this knowledge, the group made the decision to limit the outreach of the group to persons who come to St. Mary’s for worship and to minister with the parish.

Early in the work of St. Mary’s VOTF, one of the members held a meeting with the Diocesan Chancellor as well as the Moderator of the Curia. This meeting was most cordial and positive. The purpose was to explore ways in which parish leadership could facilitate transitions when pastoral changes were to be announced by Diocesan officials. The suggestion was that the Diocesan Pastoral Council be the vehicle for working with Parish Pastoral Councils to help in this process. The questions raised in this discussion are under review at the present time.

The group agrees that, in the main, the Diocese of Lansing has handled cases of sexual abuse well. There are several ways in which screening is done among which is that of fingerprinting all who work with children in the Diocese.

This St. Mary’s VOTF group has produced a brochure that has been presented to the parish by the Administrator. The brochure is designed to publicize help by service agencies to anyone who has a problem with sexual abuse. Persons who have suffered abuse reviewed the text in order to keep “victim” language at a minimum. Faculty of the University of Michigan School of Social Work have screened the piece as well as two attorneys with experience in this area. The brochure is now at the stage of a first printing.

What Do You Think?

[The January 2004 question: What do you think bishops should do to effect positive change in our Church? For a jump-start, see correspondent Bill Breidenbach’s suggestions below. Please respond to leaderpub@votf.org ]

Last month’s inquiry, about models for the VOTF future, generally supported the third model, incorporating VOTF members at all levels of local Church life while maintaining a supportive organizational framework. Here are some of your comments:

“It is a wasted effort to battle Bishops or whomever to meet on Church property. If you want to get things done, meet on secular property where perhaps you will draw more interest as well from the OUTSIDE. After all, the younger generation doesn't hang around Church. Staying networked electronically, through mainstream media, newsletters and constantly bringing a new friend into the fold is the way. University papers are also a great venue. Why not Vanity Fair, Marie Claire, Teen Beat, Magnum, whatever – fill the whole shelf on VOTF's behalf ? THIS IS MY CHURCH TOO – I want to see it change to make sense with the times but not cast aside our beautiful traditions and rich history.”
Michelle

“BRAVO to Paul Kendrick on his humble assessment of what truly matters. We should not take on the same hierarchical behavior in demanding to use Church property. Disappointed, yes – but not stopped.”
Anne Manning

“I think one item on the agenda for national VOTF should be to support the local VOTFs. Each diocese has a different set of problems. Sex-abuse may not have been a large issue in one diocese but theft by the clergy and/or bishop may be. Or the shoddy treatment of lay employees may be the issue in one diocese and not the other. Some dioceses encourage parish councils and finance committees, some discourage them. The best thing we do is provide listening sessions in order to know what the problems are. By strengthening VOTF in general, you can give hope to the laity in local parishes and dioceses that they CAN do something! They do have a voice!”
Betty Clermont

“I choose the third model - incorporation into parish life, but filled with the commitment to accomplish VOTF's goals. I confess, however, that my choice may be more rooted in my personality than in my belief that it will achieve the best success.

Since the beginning of VOTF (I attended the first conference in Boston), I have intended to start an affiliate but acknowledged ‘differences of opinion’ between the pastor and me, prevented my moving forth. I continued my stewardship in the parish – teaching religious education, producing the children's Christmas pageant, organizing the altar servers – but with an openness about my support for VOTF and its goal, not in a militant way but in the hope that VOTF will be viewed as less of an ‘in your face’ organization. I believe a few people have checked out the Web site after conversations with me, but I don't know the extent of their involvement because I don't ‘check back’ with them.

I don't want to ask for permission so I simply espouse VOTF's mission in the context of the existing opportunities. I also think that other approaches are valid and needed. Each of us in our own way – infusing our values via many avenues – is continuing the work. Keep the faith!”
Sharon Powers St. Dorothy's Parish, Wilmington, MA

“…there's nothing like using the Church’s own rules, or documents like Lumen Gentium, when dealing with the hierarchy. Also I think employing the Ghandian Method when dealing with those in power is a very good idea/methodology.”
Marian

“The hierarchy are a disgrace on the whole. VOTF on a local level would be individual advocacy of whatever that group considered important. Would it produce better clergy and a stronger Faith? I think VOTF and each of us has to get our act together or we will be nothing more than empty words. Work beside the willing clergy to restore the simple beauty of our Church. It doesn't mean no altar girls or a restoration of altar railings. It means respect, discipline and becoming more like innocent children. Simplify, beautify and stand beside our good leaders to share the real value of our church.” Patricia

“Please ask for a definition of CHURCH PROPERTY! When we give to building funds are we not giving to communal property!?? If not, why not meet at the YMCA or boro building.”

(Good question: See more on how Church property is defined in our next issue.)

“In its wisdom as VOTF formed, the three basic goals/purposes were primarily focused on the clergy sex abuse issue, avoiding opening up discussion on any controversial issues on many persons' minds, in order to evoke as little automatic censure from the hierarchy as feasible or contentious discussions among ourselves. However, as we ‘play by the rules’ and not express even our diverse opinions on other concerns, many of which are taboo to talk about, I wonder if the importance and usefulness of VOTF will seem to wane?”
Janette Cranshaw, Belmont, MA

” Thank you for the wonderful editorial from Paul Kendrick. His thoughts seem most congruent with Fr. Rausch's third model for VOTF. I participate in many ministries at my local parish in Darien CT. I tell everyone that I am a member of VOTF. My bishop, William Lori, prohibits VOTF meetings on church grounds in the Diocese of Bridgeport. Big deal! Bishop Lori so far has proved to be a wonderful bishop in many ways. I believe he is just mistaken on VOTF. He doesn't really know us.

We go forward each of us, as God leads us, in our parishes and we are not afraid to mention that we belong to VOTF. Our energies go into serving God and one another. They must never go into ‘fighting’ the bishop. There is a certain power in marginality, in powerlessness. You see it in Jesus. You see it all through the history of Christianity. The temptation is for us to disagree and then divide as the Protestant denominations continue to do. Then the spirit of evil wins. We are the Church. Its not about winning or power, or power-sharing, it's about proclaiming and doing. By our fruits, the bishops and the laity will know us. We don't need to take charge. It is heartening to know that all you VOTF people are speaking out, teaching religious education, serving, writing, singing and distributing our Lord's sacred Body and Blood to your fellow Catholic Christians, and that you harbor no grudges toward anyone.”
Maryann Knag

“There may well be a combination of 'models' for VOTF. It does help to have a strong support group of people who are concerned and who keep each other informed. At times, VOTF might have some group pressure to bear beyond the individual. Yet many individuals informed and inspired by VOTF may have the most effectual influence just working in their parishes and any other 'structures' without proclaiming their VOTF membership. Anything and everything, just so that the job gets done!”

“I am not a historian so I am not able to outline the particulars, however I would suggest that VOTF resemble the Church's structure before the Catholic Church became equated with ‘Empire’ (pre-Constantine). I believe that is where most of our present problems began.”
Lynn Norris. Hamilton, GA

“We of VOTF still have no place at the table and the victims still have no place at the table. We advocate setting up our table somewhere else and having a member of Voice of the Ordained be with us on a Sunday morning. We need more than meetings together...we need to worship together.”
Don and Diane Otten

“I believe that we should not ask permission as if we were children, as the article reiterated. I, too, regret the passivity of the Catholic people and I have been in that group. I don't think we should be part of a parallel structure since it will force people to choose and might be divisive. Being an advocacy group might involve the cajoling to persuade, which won't work because power in the hierarchy will not be relinquished. The third option is not helpful either. So, I think we need to meet in small groups and study the gospels for the development of a rich spiritual life and also read all the good books available. These will inform us about the present state of the Church. If we change from within and are passionate about positive change, according to the Spirit, we will change the Church.”

“In response to Rausch's comments I would say, let us be the leaven in the diocese. The last thing we need is another structure or pressure group. We, as was pointed out, are already very active parish participants. Let us use that as our leverage and leaven to raise our churches to new bread. We do need to be vocal, watchful, educated and when needed, confrontational, to move the hierarchy back to the role of shepherds rather than lords of the manor.

However, that said, I believe we should and have every right to meet on Church property, as it is there by our sweat and equity! We are that Church and those bishops that don't acknowledge this need to be reminded publicly they are wrong denying a member of the Church an inherent right. Make duplicate keys and 'keep the light on for us'.”

Occasionally, a reader’s letter to the Vineyard is such that his/her entire text contributes to our collective effort to understand the crisis in which all Catholics find themselves. In that light, we publish the following letter from a Washington, DC correspondent. Bill Breidenbach responds here to the America article by Thomas Rausch, S. J., noted in this column’s November issue.

Rausch seems to perceive the problem as entirely one of governance. The basic problem, I suggest, is the loss of trust in Church officials by the faithful, which the May 22 Woodstock forum highlights so well(http://www.georgetown.edu/centers/woodstock/publications/article26.htm) . This loss of trust goes well beyond governance, and began long before the pedophila/coverup scandal emerged. It encompasses most particularly the teaching authority of Church officials and began with "Humanae Vitae." "Ordinatio Sacerdotalis," in which we are told that the Church has no authority to ordain women, further contributed to the general disregard for official teaching.

The Church structure that most needs to be changed, I believe, is the mode of discourse. It must go from monologue to dialogue. It is the only way we can break out of this surreal environment in which the hierarchy act as if we were following, when in fact we are not.

Rausch paints a generally accurate picture of bishops who are wary of VOTF, wary perhaps of the laity in general, and opposed to dissent. He implies, however, that this situation is fixed, that it will perdure, or only slowly be re-shaped by participation in Church governance by a greater number of individual lay people. He may, of course, be right, but I am more optimistic.

There are probably a number of bishops who are so insulated from reality that they do not understand the nature and depth of the crisis facing the Church. However, I am inclined to believe that there are many who, in varying degrees, recognize that the problem goes beyond pedophilia and that at least some important change is necessary. It seems to me that it is urgent for us to seize on this potential receptivity to change by making proposals that are meaningful and constructive.

Rausch, pointing out that not all Church members belong to VOTF or support its methods, states "it is unlikely that most bishops would be ready to enter into dialogue with such a group." This misses the point. The need for dialogue is not with this or that, or several particular groups. The need for dialogue is with the faithful as a whole, potentially at least, all the members, say, in a given diocese. This sounds impossible, but actually is not.

Here are four ways, in increasing order of reach and intensity, in which a bishop can join in dialogue with his diocese. There are undoubtedly many more.

1) Conduct weekly half-hour, or hourly, discussions with parishioners on the diocesan Website. Questions and answers appear on the screen for all to read.

2) Conduct semi-annual, or at least annual, surveys of every member of the diocese. The surveys should deal with questions of faith and particularly of trust. Bishops should be urged to take realistic stock of the degree to which they influence the faithful of their dioceses. One question that should always be included is: "What questions should be included in the next survey?" It is essential that the results of these surveys be published in their entirety. In this way both the hierarchy and the faithful will begin to understand the true state of the faith, and be able to take remedial action where necessary.

3) Institute a general discussion forum on the diocesan Website in which the faithful can engage with each other and with the priests and bishop(s) of the diocese on all faith-related matters. Again, the dialogue will be there for all to see, and if the bishop and priests participate actively, it could be an extraordinary teaching device.

4) Conduct a diocesan synod that is prepared for over one to three years in all the parishes, and that includes laypersons selected by the members of the parishes. Bishop Matthew Clark did this in his Rochester diocese, and it has reportedly had a profound effect on diocesan life. (See the diocesan weekly's Website, www.CatholicCourier.com.)

Finally, I suggest that evolutionary measures alone are not enough. The crisis is real. In fact, it has been real for quite a while. How many of us with adult children can say that all, or even the majority of them, are serious members of the Catholic Church? Discussions with those of my age group, very much including devout Catholic couples, lead me to believe that the record is a sorry one. Our Church urgently needs change, most particularly toward openness and honesty. Dialogue, I believe, is the key.”
Bill Breidenbach, Washington, DC

So…what do YOU think? Send your thoughts to Editor at leaderpub@votf.org. Please indicate Vineyard response in your subject line.

You've not left us alone in this blind faith journey.
We thank you for understanding family
and for companions who can return to our center -
who can say what we see and live what we know.

Amen in thanksgiving.

From Ann Bruno comes this Closing Prayer written by Kate Ackerman and delivered at a VOTF South Coast Affiliate meeting, Marion, MA – St. Rita’s

It is time to end our encounter with you through our encounter with each other. We pause to reflect on the words of philosopher, Walter Brueggemann:

“What God does first and best and most is to trust his people with their moment in history. He trusts them to do what must be done for the sake of the whole community.”

We thank you for your trust—even though it often weighs heavily on our hearts. We ask you for the grace to enable us to trust ourselves, much as you trust us. Please grant us the courage to mobilize that trust into actions that will strengthen both our faith and our church. AMEN

A gift from Ron Dubois and Donna Doucette of the VOTF Paulist Center, Boston, MA

Now that VOTF has established a lay voice, be sure your voice counts!

Many of you probably think you are registered as a member of the National VOTF. However, just because they have your email address and you receive In the Vineyard doesn't mean you are a "registered" member. I just discovered that even though I am the Paulist Center Rep, I was not "registered."

• You can register by going to www.votf.org and clicking on the box on the right hand side that says "Join VOTF."
• If you think you are already registered, you can click on the spot where it says "If you are already registered..." and you can test by entering your name and password. If you don't know your password, click that and type in your name and email address. If you get a message that they don't know you, you aren't registered.

• This is important, because whenever there is an issue to be voted on by members you will not be able to vote unless you are officially registered. There is a vote coming up in mid December for National Officers, so you may want to register now.

• If you HAVE registered, but do NOT remember your User Name and Password, and you ask for that info via email, VOTF will indeed send you an email with your forgotten password.(https://app.agnisoftware.org/jsp/password.jsp) But they will send ONLY the password. If you have also forgotten the USER NAME you gave them (I used an odd name in an attempt to double my password protection), they won't supply that automatically. So if you get a password and still have trouble signing in, send them another email asking for your User Name too. Be sure you give them enough info to find your initial registration.